Haitian Pastor in New Jersey Fears Return to Haiti as Asylum Case Remains Pending

A Haitian pastor now living in New Jersey says he fears he will be killed if he is forced to return to Haiti, as legal protections for many migrants come to an end.

Pastor Samuel Dupré, his wife, and their two children are seeking political asylum in the United States. While they wait for a decision, Dupré continues to preach a message of faith, hope, and compassion.

Dupré delivers sermons in Creole centered on God's grace and mercy to churches throughout Philadelphia and South Jersey. But those themes are deeply personal for him now. He says he is praying for compassion for his own family as they try to remain in the United States.

Dupré's fears have intensified after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the end of Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of migrants, including roughly 300,000 Haitians. He says deportation to Haiti would put his life in immediate danger.

"I cannot go back," Dupré said.

Asked why, he answered: "The gangs — they will kill me. Anywhere I go, they will kill me. They have connections, and we have gangs everywhere."

Dupré said he cannot rely on police protection in Haiti.

"The police are not going to do anything," he said. "When I was in Haiti and the gangs came after me, I reported that to the police, and they didn't do anything for me."

His journey to this point began in France, where he earned two master's degrees at the University of Strasbourg. While teaching there, he decided to return to Haiti to serve his country. He taught at a college, started a Bible school, and founded a church.

But instead of finding opportunity to serve, Dupré says he found corruption and violence. He alleges that at the college where he worked, female students were trading sex with teachers in exchange for passing grades. After reporting those cases to authorities, he says he became a target.

Dupré said gang members later came to his home intending to kill him. He was not there, but he says they left behind a death threat letter and bullets on his plate as a warning.

"They control the government because a lot of people in the government are members of those gangs," Dupré said. "That's why they control the government and the people."

After fleeing Haiti in 2020, Dupré reunited with his sister in New Jersey. But her home did not have enough space for his family of four. A church eventually took them in, housing them in a small storage room where they had no privacy and no way to cook or shower.

"We were not happy, but we didn't know where to go," Dupré said.

The family's circumstances began to improve with help from HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. The organization connected them with Congregation Kol Ami and several churches in South Jersey. Through that network, attorney Steven Janove, a HIAS volunteer, began helping the family secure better housing and navigate the asylum process.

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Janove said Dupré has followed every rule required of him.

"What's so frustrating is that Pastor Samuel, like so many other Haitians, followed the rules and did exactly what they were asked to do," Janove said. "He came here fearing persecution. He filed an asylum application, paid the fee, filed for work authorization, was granted work authorization, got a job, paid taxes, and continued to follow the law while starting a life here."

Janove said it would be cruel to send Dupré back to Haiti, where conditions remain dire. The U.S. State Department currently warns Americans not to travel to Haiti because of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, civil unrest, and limited health care.

That danger is one reason Fervent Church in Voorhees, New Jersey, joined a coalition of churches and synagogues supporting the family. Pastor Mike Rosado said helping immigrant families is central to the church's mission.

"What are the simple ways we can express the gospel? By being there for Samuel and his family," Rosado said. "We do that through prayer. We do that through food. We do that through support in any way possible."

Dupré's family is also receiving help from the Multi-Faith Refugee Assistance Program, a coalition assisting more than 100 immigrant families facing possible deportation.

Even as his future remains uncertain, Dupré continues his ministry. He teaches a weekly Bible school over Zoom for people in Haiti, allowing him to serve from a safe distance. He also speaks at churches and synagogues across New Jersey and Pennsylvania, encouraging others to hold on to faith during hardship.

Asked what he and his family would offer America if allowed to stay, Dupré said they would contribute through ministry, teaching, and work.

"I'm a pastor. We can share the gospel of God. We can also share God's compassion with people," he said. "And I am a teacher. I can become a college teacher here, and I can help people. I have a Ph.D., and I can also pay taxes. There are a lot of things we can do for America."

As the Trump administration pushes former TPS holders to leave the country or face arrest and forced repatriation, advocacy groups are urging Congress to extend protections for immigrants who could be sent back to life-threatening conditions.

For now, Dupré says he is praying his family will be allowed to stay in the United States. Until then, he says his mission is unchanged: keep serving others while he waits.